MISSOURI: Governor Signs Suicide Prevention, Anti-Bullying Bill

A bill to enact suicide prevention and anti-bullying policies in Missouri state school districts was signed into law on June 3 by Governor Jay Nixon, who called it “an important piece of legislation that can improve and save lives.” House Bill 1583 mandates that teachers complete up to two hours of training in youth suicide awareness and prevention starting in the 2017–2018 school year and annually thereafter. School districts will also be required to include an anti-bullying policy in their student handbooks. According to the bill, bullying consists of “intimidation, unwanted aggressive behavior, or harassment that is repetitive or is substantially likely to be repeated and causes a reasonable student to fear for his or her physical safety or property; substantially interferes with the educational performance, opportunities, or benefits of any student without exception; or substantially disrupts the orderly operation of the school.” A definition of cyberbullying is also included in the bill.

The Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) is supported by a grant (1 U79 SM062297) from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). No official endorsement by SAMHSA or DHHS for the information on this website is intended or should be inferred.